A new SMACNA Chapter Education course “Start and Build a Profitable Service and Replacement Department" recently debuted with the Bay Area SMACNA chapter in Oakland, Calif. It is based on SMACNA’s new “Residential Retrofit and Service Operations Management Program.”

Mobile applications are creating great opportunities for residential contractors to improve customer service, build rapport with clients, write estimates and proposals, and sell more jobs at higher margins and in less time.

We met with the new SMACNA Residential Contractors Council Steering Committee Chair Kevin Shekell, president of J.E. Shekell Inc., Evansville, Ind., to find out his thoughts on the residential business, what challenges him, and his likes and dislikes.

As a longtime industry leader and a member of the St. Louis Better Business Bureau, George “Butch” Welsch, owner of SMACNA company Welsch Heating and Cooling, St. Louis, has come across some great ideas over the years for keeping up good relationships with your customers.

According to PACENation, an industry trade association, 130,000 homeowners have used PACE financing for energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, and wind mitigation improvements, representing a total investment of $2.9 billion.

Residential HVAC contractors take note: Homeowners overwhelmingly put energy efficiency at the top of their list of essential and desirable features, according to a survey by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

The world of refrigerants is a complex landscape. With contractors on the front line, staying informed about what’s coming will help ensure you are offering your customers the best approach to safety and efficiency.